The Lady Of The Manor
by Athena Hekate
Summary: It is wedding season among the pure-blood elite and Astoria has a bit of a crush on her future mother-in-law.


It was wedding season, therefore, it was the time that all good little pure-blood ladies and gentleman were paraded like show horses to find their future spouses. Astoria hated the idea of marrying any man especially after realizing that she preferred her own gender, but while same-sex relationships were permitted in the wider magical community and discrimination outlawed her own family and their circle would never allow her the freedom to marry another woman. After all, they disinherited Daphne when she married a muggle aristocrat. She damned her sister to the depths of Hell not because she married a muggle, but because now their parents kept her in a gilded Azkaban with an ever tightening noose.

"Astoria come out into the sitting room and join us for tea!" called Octavia Greengrass.

"Yes, Mother!"

Tea! She fucking hated tea. If she was going to be sold off to the highest bidder she wanted a damn fire whiskey to get through the formalities. Just as she was mentally cursing her very existence the most beautiful woman she had ever seen glided across the room in dress robes of black silk looking as though Persephone had risen from the Underworld. She was so glad she didn't have Jolly put fire whiskey in her tea as she had done with other potential mothers' in law. However, she was happy that she had chosen to wear a designer muggle emerald-green gown with white heels. Of course her mother had no idea that it was a muggle creation and she planned to keep it that way.

"Astoria, this is Lady Narcissa Malfoy" her mother informed.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Greengrass" her Persephone greeted.

"It is an honor to meet you Lady Malfoy" she replied a little breathless.

Astoria couldn't believe that she did not recognize that this woman was her sister's classmate's mother. She knew of Draco of course her sister had originally been promised to him by contract until she had run off to marry Sebastian. This must have been her parents' way of making amends for her older sister's folly. She now knew that she would marry Draco, but what was he going to be like as a spouse? Merlin she hoped that he kept a mistress and only wanted her to produce a legitimate heir. She would just have to lay out her expectations outright and Draco would do the same.

"Oh! Astoria dear, do call me Narcissa we are family now" she replied.

"Yes, Narcissa"

Narcissa gave the young lady in front of her a cool, calculating glance. The dress she was wearing was obviously a muggle creation. She could infer from that observation that she would be an asset to the House of Malfoy allowing them to put distance between the recent past. She chuckled to herself as she started to notice the girl was a little starry-eyed. Yes, she concluded Astoria would be a perfect addition to her family. Now she merely had to see if she matched Draco's criteria for a spouse.

A few weeks later, she set up a private meeting between herself and Astoria at the manor while Draco and Lucius were away. Once they were settled in with tea she asked more private in-depth questions which would have been considered improper earlier.

"Astoria, darling you seem to be the type of girl we as a family are looking for in a wife and future daughter-in-law, but I need to know what your expectations are for a marriage."

"I want a marriage that will be in name only and I expect my husband to take a mistress after we produce an heir" she stated. "I also require that he be discreet."

"That will do, but I should inform you that my son is homosexual. His father does not know this and I expect it to be kept from him. Draco is all that I have and I will see him as happy as possible. If you cannot accept this I need to know now."

"It will not be a problem as I am also homosexual. I expect that fact to be kept from my parents" she said.

"Like the muggle dress you were wearing the other day?" Narcissa questioned with a smile.

"Exactly" Astoria said as she grinned back.


End file.
